


5,653,800 Steps

by SpiderJug



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Journey, Love, Love Story, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-04-16 02:32:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14154756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderJug/pseuds/SpiderJug
Summary: “Everybody has the number of steps to their soul mate on their wrists. You have just gotten the news that you have 1 year left to live. You are on a mission to find your soul mate, even for just a glance, before your time runs out.”Jughead has one year to live and is determined to find his supposedly soul mate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a very simplistic writing style so uh yeah (I'm hinting that it's not gonna be the best written thing you'll ever read). This takes place a little farther in the future. This means that things like pills can be used to solve almost anything (hunger, any type of pain, etc.) so eating food is sorta not a necessity. In this universe, the Joneses are too poor to afford a car so Jughead travels by foot on trails (they act like highways but for walking so there are rest stops and stuff like that. This also means that not many people are on the trails since most have vehicles). Also don't mind the errors since this was not heavily edited by anyone (including me) and I hope you enjoy :)

Jughead twiddled his thumbs stressfully as the seriousness of the situation began to sink in.

“Jughead? Jughead did you hear me?” Dr. Deen questioned as he looked up from his clipboard.

Jughead’s mouth was agape with fear. He wanted to ask so many questions but all he managed to let out was a strangled, “A-Are you sure?”

FP Jones pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. An attempt not to cry spread across his face.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Dr. Deen assured, his eyes pitying the boy.

Jughead could not believe it. Sitting on the sturdy cot of the doctor’s office, he had heard the one thing that would change his life forever.

Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third had one more year to live.

\---

Jughead crammed burger after burger into his mouth, his stress eating problem getting the best of him. He had eaten twenty five burgers in not even five minutes.

“Slow down boy,” FP suggested, his head in his hand.

Jughead sighed wearily. “Dad you really think I have one year left? I mean, for all we know, Dr. Deen could be lying to us. He might have some hidden beef with us, so maybe he just told us that to prank us and scare us--”

“Whoa, kid. Slow your roll,” FP cut his son off. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

“I don't know,” Jughead admitted, defeat in his voice. “I just…I just refuse to accept the fact that I only have one year left on this Earth.”

“Well hey, look at it this way. Now’s the time to rebel. You know, live your life to the fullest.” FP nodded towards his son’s wrist.

Jughead looked at his father lamely. Despite his own objections, the beanie wearing boy’s eyes glided to the magma red number branded in his wrist. 5,653,800. 5,653,800 footsteps to his supposedly soul mate. He looked back up at his father and shook his head.

Jughead Jones was never the one to love. The person he even merely loved was his father. The raven haired teen never thought fondly of his mother, due to her disappearance when he was only seven. He shared more of a friendship than a sibling relationship with his little sister Jellybean. Jughead never fell for any of the girls or even any of the guys (if he was ever into that at least) in his small town. There appeared to be no hope of finding a soul mate for Jughead Jones.

“Nah,” Jughead murmured, leaning back into the leathery red seat. “I'm not falling into some old and worn out movie trope of literally traveling across the country or world to meet my one true love.” He shoved a fry in his mouth.

FP wouldn't give up. “C’mon Jug. It may be some old movie trope but it may also be your greatest adventure waiting to happen.”

“I'll pass,” Jughead answered, his eyes fixed on the magma numbers glowing on his wrist.

\---

**2/12 months**

Jughead had been to the doctor’s twice in the past two months. So far, he learned that:

  * He would die due to heart pains
  * These pains were to happen throughout his last twelve (now ten) months
  * The pains would get worse and come more often the closer his death date came
  * His death date will come at random



In the past two months, Jughead had received only three pains, but of course they didn't affect him much since he barely felt them.

But over those first two months, Jughead had managed to distract himself from all the “eventually going to die” business. Every time Jughead went to walk, he’d watch the fiery number flicker either bigger or smaller, indicating that he was either getting closer or farther to his soul mate. He continued to dwell over what FP told him at the diner the day his life was changed.

_“Well hey, look at it this way. Now’s the time to rebel. You know, live your life to the fullest.”_

_“...it may also be **your** greatest adventure waiting to happen.”_

The idea of actually trying to find his soul mate didn’t seem so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” FP had insisted that if Jughead were to set out and find his soul mate, he would be there every step of the way. Frankly, he felt offended when his son told him to stay back.

 

“Yes,” Jughead assured. “You didn't have your pops follow you around when you found mom, didn't you?”

 

FP shook his head. “Don't use my story as an example, boy. You know what happened in the end.” The gruffy biker looked down at his hollowed wrist, a number no longer visible. An uppercase Xtook its place. “I don't want that happening to you.”

 

Though FP did eventually find his soul mate, things didn’t fan out the way he expected. It was true, Gladys was truly his soul mate. The numbers on their wrists proved it. But after Jughead, one thing led to another and the two parted ways, deciding to never rekindle their relationship.

 

“Yeah, I know.” Jughead looked down, preferring not to talk about his mother anymore.

 

“I love you, son.” To beanie wearing boy’s surprise, FP began to get teary eyed. “Please be careful. Take the pills when needed, okay?” He swatted a tear away, attempting to keep his manly structure in tact.

 

“Yes, dad.”

 

The two embraced, not letting go for a good minute or two. It was FP who cut their final goodbye short and sent his son on his way, to hopefully the girl of his dreams and a better future than his own..

 

**4/12 months**

 

Jughead wearily took a hunger pill as he continued to trot towards his supposedly soul mate. He had gotten five more chest pains, the fifth one of the bunch feeling like a three year old had punched him. And considering the raven haired boy’s body structure, it hurt the tiniest bit.

 

Deciding that he was tired of consuming the hunger pills his father had provided him, Jughead dragged his exhausted feet towards the little diner on the side of the trail. He craved a burger so badly that he was willing to give up all the money ($250 to be exact) his father had him stash away in his pockets.

 

“Two burgers and a milkshake,” Jughead told the waitress through clenched teeth. He would much rather buy as much burgers and milkshakes $250 would let him.

 

As the waitress strutted away, a tall boy seemingly the same age as Jughead and a girl with lazily dyed pink hair filed in the seat in front of Jughead.

 

“Uh hello?” Jughead squirmed uneasily in his seat. He felt intimidated by the two strangers before him, their leather jackets looking worn and beat up.

 

“Sweet Pea,” the boy wheezed, sweat dripping down his face.

 

“Toni Topaz,” the girl gasped, her arm outstretched nonetheless.

 

Jughead shook their hands, multiple questions building up in his brain. “Are you guys alright?”

 

“If you consider running from the cops ‘alright,’” Sweet Pea retorted in a hushed tone. “You have to cover for us while we hide here.”

 

Toni smacked him straight on his grease covered hair. “What the hell, doofus.” She turned to Jughead and flashed the most pleasing smile she could muster. “What my friend is _trying_ to say is…will you convince the cops that we’re not here, please? We’ll pay you.”

 

Jughead searched their eyes carefully. “What did you do?”

 

Sweet Pea banged his fist on the table. “None of your business--”

 

“Smuggled drugs,” Toni whispered while swatting Sweet Pea in the stomach. “Trust me that sounds bad but we did it for a good reason, I swear. Now will you hide us, please?”

 

Sirens began to be heard outside. Police cars were here for Sweet Pea and Toni. Jughead had to think fast or he could well get himself and these two biker looking criminals into trouble.

 

“Get in the bathroom,” Jughead mumbled, his voice sounding bored.

 

Toni mouthed a quick “thank you” as she and her accomplice headed for the stalls. Now, their lives were in Jughead’s hands.

 

“Excuse me, young man.”

 

Jughead whirled his head around to see two police officers lined up behind him. “Yes, sir what can I do for you?”

 

“Did you see these two fugitives enter this establishment?” The policeman flashed a paper with a picture of both Sweet Pea and Toni.

 

Jughead simply shook his head, his expression cool and calm. “No sir. I'm sorry. I'll look out for them if they do enter here though.”

 

“Appreciate it.” the officers proceeded to ask the cashier.

 

Out of the corner of Jughead’s eye, he saw slicked back hair poke out of the bathroom door. Without a second glance, the beanie wearing boy popped out of his seat and hastily shoved himself in the supposed-to-be-one person stall.

 

“Sweet Pea, what are you doing?” Jughead scolded. “Are you trying to get caught?”

 

“Hey, how were we supposed to know when the coast was clear?” Sweet Pea cracked his knuckles, his brass knuckles gleaming in the dingy light of the stall.

 

“When they left, I’d get up and tell you.” Jughead explained.

 

“Duh,” Toni retorted, giving her tall suave friend a thwack in the shoulder.

 

“Oh...right…” Sweet Pea muttered, a sense of sheepishness falling over his voice and face. “Sorry.”

 

Jughead shrugged. “Hey I barely know you two. So you should be thankful that I'm even attempting to keep you hidden.” With a swift turn, Jughead pushed himself out of the mahogany door and sat back down in his seat. But once he peered over his shoulder, he knew he was in for some trouble.

 

“Young man, the owner of this establishment just showed us some surveillance footage. We saw you with both fugitives. You are under arrest for lying to a cop,” the cop informed, his hands fumbling for the handcuffs clipped to his belt.

 

The fear in Jughead’s eyes was no longer part of the act anymore. He didn't have time to spend in jail. He was on a mission. And he was foolish enough to let these thugs get in the way of everything.

 

As if they had heard the raven haired teen’s thoughts, both Sweet Pea and Toni burst out of the tiny stall, their hands in the air.

 

“Now hold on a minute,” Sweet Pea started.

 

“Please don't lock him up. He's got a life to live, you know.” Toni’s eyes flickered to Jughead’s. “He only did what he did because we told him to. Please, just take us instead. We're right here anyways.”

 

The second officer looked at Jughead, his stare piercing. “We’re gonna try this again, okay kid? Is she telling the truth?”

 

Jughead held Toni’s gaze for a second then glanced into Sweet Pea’s, as if trying to apologize telepathically. He nodded. “Yes sir.” But though he had told the truth, he still felt guilty.

 

The second officer looked at his partner. “Alright. We’ll let you go, but just this once. Now scram kid, we’re taking these two into custody.”

 

The sounds of the handcuffs clicking into place made Jughead squirm with guilt. Though he didn't know the biker like guy and the independent pink haired girl very well, he still felt sorrow for literally handing them over when they asked him not to. But it was the right thing to do. And he knew that. Jughead waved a small goodbye to the pair as they were guided to the police car.

 

Sweet Pea grimaced, but he nodded towards the beanie wearing boy nonetheless.

 

Toni smiled a bittersweet smile and mouthed a thank you, despite being taking by the cops in the end.

 

Jughead waited for the police car to drive away before he silently paid for his meal and continued on his way.

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
**6/12 months**

The number on Jughead’s wrist continued to dwindle down as he headed closer and closer to his soul mate. _She must have noticed her number decreasing too, right?_ The raven haired teen thought. It was thoughts like these that let Jughead forget the unbearable pain in his feet and chest.

Most would think that after traveling on foot for a couple of months, the person would be used to all the foot pain from walking and the lack of rest breaks/sleep. Well the truth was yes, Jughead was used to such things. But the only thing that reminded him of the struggles of traveling by foot were his heart pains. The doctor had not prescribed any medication to ease his heart pains, so he was left to suffer. Of course Jughead didn’t want to deal with any of his heart complications but he’s a fighter. So he sets off and fights off the torture.

From the time he sent gang members Sweet Pea and Toni to jail to now, Jughead had began to wonder how the girl of his dreams would look like. Of course, he had no leads on her, so he had nothing to start with. But as every nap passed, the girl slowly began to take shape in his dreams. He never interpreted a name, but he got a basic outline of what she might possibly look like. Long, luscious golden locks. Blush pink lipstick to match her blush pink v-neck sweater. Simple faded denim jeans and black converse. Hazel eyes that shined like the stars and a smile so innocent, it sent butterflies to Jughead’s stomach. Sometimes just picturing the girl would ease the pain in his heart.

Unfortunately, these imaginations only lasted a few months. For it was only a bulky and shady teen named Reggie that became the reason those dreams stopped.

It took Jughead by surprise surely. He never expected anyone, let alone anyone as dashing as this guy, to use the ol’ nature walkway. But what the beanie wearing boy also didn’t expect was how persuasive and persistent this guy was.

“Ah another nature traveler,” the guy stated, pleased to see Jughead walking on the trail. “Yeah there’s not much of us anymore.”

Jughead gave a light chuckle in response, deciding to continue walking. He only stopped when the jock like teen’s hand landed on his shoulder, a light but firm grip holding him still.

“The name’s Reggie. Reggie Mantle. What’s your excuse for using the trail? Run away?” Reggie smirked. “Drug dealer/addict?”

“What no. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be on my way.” Jughead swerved around Reggie and continued on his way. But the delinquent had other plans.

Reggie sighed annoyingly. “I tried the nice way. You leave me no choice.” The leather jacket wearing brute pulled a hammer out of his backpack and began to twirl it in his enormous hand. “Fork over all your cash. Now!”

Jughead grimaced. He knew he had no chance against Reggie, especially since he was equipped with a weapon. So he wasn't going to fight him. But he also wasn't going to hand over his money like an obedient child. “Make me.”

Reggie smirked as he raised the metal hammer, ready to swing it.

Jughead gripped the flat circular face of the hammer before it could strike him. By the look on Reggie’s face, he could tell he might actually have a chance. And truthfully, Jughead could've won. Except for the pang of torture striking his heart. The raven haired teen’s face twisted in agony as his heart felt like it swelled up inside of him, causing him to lose grip of Reggie’s hammer.

Reggie, seizing the opportunity, struck Jughead in the head and snatched his wallet from his bag. Reggie then rifled through his few IDs and snagged the cash out of one of the slits. “Bingo!” He cheered, his eyes filled with lust. “I can finally afford the chunk of cocaine from Midge!” The jock then proceeded to gather his loot and bolt.

His head throbbing in horrific pain, Jughead placed pressure on the wound. With some sort of inhuman strength, he managed to stand up once again and go after the thief. Thank God for him Reggie was heading the way he was going originally. “Hey! Get back here!” He sped up, never releasing his hand from his head.

Reggie’s head flung back, his eyes widening at the sight of Jughead. “Oh shit,” he mumbled to himself as he sped up. However, due to the fact that he wasn't looking straight (and to Jughead’s luck), Reggie’s foot got hooked onto a branch lying across the trail, sending him flying forward. Before he could even register what was going on, Reggie’s face smacked the dirt path, knocking him unconscious.

With a small grin slowly crossing his face, Jughead gained the money that was stolen from him and ran as fast and far as he could currently manage, attempting to escape the clutches of Reggie.

About an hour or two later, Jughead could take the pain of his pounding head no longer. He decided to settle down and take a nap. He knew it would slow him down but a few miles back, the beanie wearing boy had stopped at a pharmacy and purchased an over-the-counter pain killer. Now that he was settled down, Jughead consumed the pill and proceeded to go to sleep. Jughead swore he could feel himself smile in sleep thanks to the sweet and luring dreams of his supposedly soul mate once again.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**8/12 months**

 

Jughead was traveling at a slower pace nowadays. His head was still achy sometimes but it was getting better nonetheless. His heart pains, though, were the main reason for dragging down his journey’s constant pace. 

 

The pains had awoke Jughead a couple of nights. He’d just have to lay there and deal with the pain until it subdued. So he never got much sleep either. 

 

But the good news was that out of 5,653,800 footsteps, Jughead had completed about a million of these steps. And exactly at two million steps, Jughead saw his first lead to his supposedly soul mate.

 

About a mile or two away, a blonde girl (seemingly in high school) and a lean redhead boy peered into Jughead’s view, their suitcases clunking behind them as they hurried along. Seeing their hasty movement, Jughead decided to ignore the two. But to his astonishment, the pair approached him. 

 

“Excuse us, sir, do you know where we are? We’re terribly lost and are on the run,” the blonde girl whimpered, tears spilling out of her eyes. The boy silently wiped them as he held her close.

 

Jughead felt sorry for the pair. He could tell that they were on the run, at least based on how they looked. Their clothes were caked in dirty and their hair was askew from all the rushing around they must’ve been doing. Their reason for running away, however, was unclear. “We’re in Greendale,” Jughead said softly. 

 

“Greendale? Oh Jason that's only 2 hours away from Riverdale! We need to move quicker or else she’s going to find us!” 

 

Jason placed his hand gently on the girl’s stomach and kissed her head. “Calm down, Polly.”

 

It was only until now that Jughead noticed the teen was pregnant. “Um not to be rude, but where did you two originally come from?”

 

“Riverdale,” Jason replied, still trying to comfort Polly. “We need to get going. Thank you for your help, sir.”

 

“Wait where are you going?” Polly sniffled.

 

“I don't know where exactly,” Jughead replied. “But until this thing runs out.” He held out his wrist, the glowing red number flashing brightly in the couple’s faces.

 

“To your soul mate,” Jason inferred.

 

“Aw that's so cute! Wait if your soul mate happened to be in Riverdale, which is towards the way you seem to be going, please don't tell her or anyone there that you saw us. Please,” she begged.

 

Jughead nodded. “Okay.”

 

“Come on, we have to go,” Jason prompted as he took his girlfriend by the hand, tugging on her ever so slightly.

 

Polly nodded, her head dropping towards the ground. “Right,” she mumbled.

 

Jughead and the couple eventually parted ways. But as the beanie wearing teen kept walking, he realized he was gradually getting faster. Ultimately, he ended up running. Faster and faster he went, (most likely) towards the town of Riverdale. Hope rose from his chest. 

 

Polly had finally given him a lead on his supposedly soul mate.

 

**10/12 months**

 

The fire in Jughead’s heart was a mix of determination and torture. He knew for certain he was getting closer to his supposedly soul mate, thanks to the fiery red number on his wrist. The only thing slowing him down much more than before were his heart pains (what a shock). The raven haired teen was fully aware of how much time he had left on this earth. It was a measly two months until his impending death and he  _ knew _ he couldn't slow down, not even for a second. 

 

That being said, Jughead would wake up extra early in the morning and jog (which eventually turned into a sprint) his way to his dream girl. But waking up early never seemed to help his schedule. The heart pains were much more frequent and horrendous (ranging from 10-20 minutes apart), causing the beanie wearing boy to collapse and clutch his chest until his hands went pale. He’d sit in silence as his heart beat drummed in his ears and the pain roared on.

 

But one particular day, Jughead decided to look down at his wrist. The number had decreased significantly in the time that he slept.  _ Could it be?  _ He thought.  _ Is she trying to get to  _ _ me _ _?  _ Jughead’s mind raced at the very thought of his supposedly soul mate making her way to him, instead of the other way around. But one thing's for certain (had it been true that both were traveling towards each other): The two would eventually get to see each other at the pace they were going. 

 

Nevertheless, Jughead couldn’t believe it. He needed stone cold proof that his supposedly soul mate was truly traveling towards him. The beanie wearing boy did everything in his ability to try to persuade himself that she absolutely one hundred percent was indeed getting closer to him. He checked his wrist every five seconds, he squinted down the path to see if any sort of human figure was coming towards him, and he even went as far as to call out “Are you over there?” to no response of course. 

 

Although the lava red number on his wrist was genuinely dwindling down, the thoughts in his head didn’t help.  _ You’re probably just imagining the number going down. She probably hasn’t been noticing her number decreasing at all. For all you know, she could just be on the highway, getting driven somewhere!  _ Jughead immediately ruled out the last thought after convincing himself that the number would be dropping at a much faster rate if she was in a car.

 

After a good half an hour of letting his inner thoughts comsume him, Jughead finally decided to stand up and start jogging. He noticed the number was at a whopping one million footsteps (or roughly five hundred miles) and the determination is his chest rose to his throat. The raven haired teen didn’t even worry about the things that others usually worry about when they first meet their soul mate. Things like the first thing you’d say, how you looked, the way you acted and similar things were what others mostly dwelled over. But not Jughead. He wanted to find the girl first. That was his number one priority. Well, number two priority. He never said it, but he wanted (at the very least) to spend the last minutes he had on this earth with his potentially true love. And, above all things, he wanted her to love him.

 

No matter how she looked or acted, Jughead had a gut feeling that he would instantly fall in love with her. And in a way, he _ had  _ already fallen in love. Obviously, the beanie wearing boy has never actually laid eyes on her. But he just knew that he’d love her. Even with the dysfunctional mess of a heart that he has, literally and metaphorically.  

 

-

 

It was 7:40 pm now, meaning the sun was coming down. Jughead had been running non stop the whole day, determined to get the number on his wrist to zero. He noticed that about two hours ago, though, the number began to decrease at a much faster rate.  _ She must be running too.  _ He thought at the time as he popped a hunger pill in his mouth, to which his growling stomach silenced itself on the spot. The very thought of his dream running even closer to him sent butterflies to Jughead’s stomach. Little did he know that the next few minutes from when the sun went down would be the minutes where his life changed. Forever.

 

There, in the faint glow of the little slit of the sun, stood a girl. The very girl Jughead had dreamed about for eight months now. The very girl he desperately hoped would change his life. 

 

The girl looked down at her wrist, prompting Jughead to do the same. They were one hundred steps apart. Lifting their heads up at the same time, both their visions went a blur as Jughead and his dream girl broke into full out sprints towards each other. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loosely edited so sorry for any errors. Also sorry this one took a while. Writer's block decided to camp out in my brain for a little bit but I'm back to writing again!

**11/12 months**

 

The two clashed as they both fell into each other’s arms. Jughead’s eyes streamed tears of joy as he tightened his grip on the girl, being careful not to hurt her. 

 

“You r-really were here,” the girl’s muffled voice stammered. “I knew I wasn't going insane!” 

 

Jughead sniffled and nodded. “I'm Jughead Jones,” he whimpered, trying to keep himself from crumbling to the floor. 

 

_ Jughead? That must be a nickname.  _ The blonde beauty felt a smile play on her lips. “Elizabeth Cooper. But you can call me Betty.” 

 

The pair didn't release each other or say anything else until what seemed like hour. In fact, they were so lost in their own worlds that neither one of them realized it was pitch black out.

 

“C’mon let's go to my house. You must want to take a shower.” Betty suggested as she held Jughead’s dirty covered hand and walked back to Riverdale. 

 

The beanie wearing boy never thought much about that. He had been out on the path for so long that he must've been practically made out of dirt. His scent was probably much worse. “Uh right,” Jughead mumbled, his black converse tripping over one another as he regained his footing. 

 

Betty slowed her pace so that Jughead could walk properly. “You know, you got some nerve traveling all the way out here just to meet some normal girl, aka me.”

 

“I have a reason,” Jughead quipped.

 

“What's that?” 

 

“Well--” Jughead grasped his chest as his heart sent a pang of discomfort through his body. He gasped for breath, his torso starting to feel heavy. 

 

“Jughead?” Betty asked, sounding alarmed. “Hey, are you okay?”

 

Jughead dropped to the ground, his eyes lifeless and drool spilling out of his mouth. He couldn’t move. In fact, he was in such agony that he couldn’t even let out a shred of his voice. 

 

Unfortunately, Betty wasn’t aware of what was happening. But then again neither was Jughead.  “Oh my God!” she screeched as she fumbled for her phone in her pocket. She dialled 911, her face a ghost and her body trembling.

 

Jughead could only watch as his life crumbled before him. He had finally met his dream girl but for what? It hadn’t even been an hour and his heart had sent his body into a coma of some sorts. But worst of all was the fact that the raven haired teen could only see his beautiful blonde angel panic, cry and tremble all because of him. And worst of all, he didn’t know if this was going to be the end. Talk about a first impression.

 

-

 

Jughead gasped as his eyes flew open. It took him a moment or two to realize he had been sitting in a dingy hospital room with his body drenched in sweat. The raven haired boy whipped his head around, looking at his surroundings. He soon got dizzy from the simple movements and decided to lay his head back into the surprisingly fluffy pillow. 

 

“Please be awake, please be awake,” Betty mumbled under her breath as she carried a tray of tasteless food into the room, her head towards the floor. It had been nearly a week (five days to be exact) since her potential love had fallen into a coma sort of state. And though the days passed, the girl next door was still in shock after finding out about Jughead’s condition. 

 

“Betty?” Jughead croaked, his throat as dry as a desert.

 

Betty blinked a tear away and slowly lifted her head. “Jug?” she whispered, wiping her damp eyes. “Jug!” The blonde beauty quickly and cautiously placed the tray of food down on the side table and hugged the boy gently. “Thank God you’re okay!”

 

Jughead, still in shock, blankly stared at the wall. “Betty,” he repeated. 

 

“Yes, it’s me Betty. Do you remember me?”

 

He paused. “Yes,” Jughead responded slowly. 

 

“Do you really?”

 

“Yes. My memory didn’t get wiped, Betty.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes.“Yeah, yeah. Can you tell me what you’ve been doing for the past eleven months?”

 

“Finding you.”

 

Unexpectedly, a man with a scratchy black beard burst into the room. “Jughead!” 

 

Jughead and Betty’s eyes instantly landed on the man. 

 

“Dad?” Jughead rasped, his eyes fixing on the guy clad in a worn out leather jacket. 

 

“Boy, don’t you ever...don’t you ever do that to me again!” FP snapped through tears. He quickly swatted them away before any could trail down his face. 

 

“I’m sorry to ruin the moment, but you’re his dad?” Betty questioned while gesturing to Jughead. 

 

FP nodded. “So you must be the girl?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“Did you take good care of my boy?” FP’s look intensified.

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Jughead stared at the two, attempting to absorb everything. 

 

“Good. That's enough of that. What did the doctor say?” FP approached his son, a gentle glint in his eyes. He softly ruffled Jughead’s jet black hair.

 

Betty’s eyes began to leak again. “N-Not good,” she sniveled, her eyes slowly moving to the boy in the bed. “They said his...his last day is approaching much quicker than predicted.” She took a shaky breath.

 

Jughead sat dumbfounded. “I’m dying quicker?” He croaked.

 

“All the more reason for you two to go out and get to know each other!” FP urged, trying to hold himself back from weeping. “Once you're well enough to walk, you two go out and do whatever. As long as it's not illegal.”

 

“But dad, how did you get here so quickly?” While the news of his untimely demise hit him hard, Jughead tried to distract himself. This was the first thought that escaped his mouth.

 

“You don't need to worry about that,” FP waved him off. “Besides…that's irrelevant to you. Go have fun, Jughead! While you still can!”

 

“When are you leaving?”

 

“Soon.”

 

“When?” Jughead pushed.

 

“In a day or two.”

 

“...Oh.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jughead turned to the blonde beauty who was patiently waiting for the father and son duo to finish talking. “Cuz I want to spend some time with you.”

 

FP talked quietly now. “You do?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

FP flicked a tear away. “Really?”

 

“Yes.” Jughead smiled weakly, the pain from his heart still lingering in his chest. 

 

“Okay let's go!” The father hurried, taking his son by the hand.

 

“Mr. Jones!” Betty warned, seeing the hurt in Jughead’s eyes. “Jug still needs to rest.”

 

“Right! God I'm an idiot.” 

 

-

 

A week had passed by now. Jughead had taken his first steps off the medical bed. At the time, Betty and FP had caught him when he tried walking at first. Three hours later, Jughead was able to walk on his own again.

 

“Let's get a burger,” FP suggested as the three neared the only diner in Riverdale, Pop’s. 

 

“Sounds good,” Jughead added.

 

“Oh yeah we should go. They’re the best burgers in the world,” Betty insisted.

 

Sure enough, the father and son duo found that opinion to be true. In fact they were so good, FP and Jughead had five extra large burgers each. They burped in satisfaction, causing the three to laugh. Betty snapped a photo of the small family laughing and smiling, a grin creeping up on her lips.

 

“What's with the paparazzi?” FP joked as he affectionately rubbed his son’s shoulder. 

 

“Just to capture the moment.” A small buzz sound was heard as the small Polaroid picture fizzed out of the camera. 

 

Jughead looked on with amazement and wonder in his eyes. “I didn't know cameras can do that.”

 

“Well this a special camera that can do just that, so,” Betty informed. She handed the picture to the two. “I think you guys should keep it.”

 

“Hm.” FP looked at the picture then looked at Jughead then back at Betty. “Can you take two? So Jug and I can both have one?”

 

“Yes of course.” Betty smiled as she took another picture of the two and handed the finished photo over. “Smart thinking.”

 

“Thanks,” FP agreed as he stuck the meaningful picture in his wallet. “Now you'll always be with me.” He smiled at his kid.

 

Jughead returned the grin and placed his own picture in his jacket pocket. 

 

“Anyhow,” Betty let out a breath, “Why don't we go to my house? So Jughead can get some well needed rest.” She had noticed the beanie wearing boy had gotten unnoticeably pale. The paleness didn’t seem to be effecting Jughead at all, but Betty just wanted to be safe.

 

“Yeah you two should hit the hay. I'll start heading to the motel I'm staying at.” 

 

“Motel?” Jughead turned to his dad, a confused expression on his face.

 

“You could've stayed at my house with my mom and me. She wouldn't mind since my dad’s on a business trip and my sister…” she took a breath, “...my sister ran away.”

 

“Oh. Oh no I couldn't. I shouldn't. Especially if your sister ran away. Wouldn't your mom be crazy stressed about one of her daughters making a run for it? I know I would be.”

 

“She's fine for now.”

 

Jughead watched the two, turning his head to look at each person as they spoke. 

 

“No,” FP began. “Thanks for the offer but I don't wanna cause any trouble. I'll just be a few minutes away from here anyways.” He smiles. “You are a nice and kind girl though, I will give you that.”

 

Betty gave a small grin. “If you insist.”

 

FP strode to his motorcycle and rode off into the sunset, leaving the other two alone.

 

After a few moments, Betty spoke up. “Jughead, what's your real name?” she turned to the boy and starting walking, her eyes still fixated on him. 

 

Jughead was not proud of his real name at all. He grimaced and replied “Forsythe Pendleton Jones III.”

 

The blonde beauty didn't hesitate on her words. “Wow. Sounds pretty fancy for someone like you.” She slapped a hand over her mouth, her face flushing. “I'm sorry I uh I didn't mean it like that---”

 

“It's ok, I get it.”

 

“Get what?”

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at the girl. “I'm highly aware that my dad and I didn't have the best living conditions but you know…it was manageable.”

 

Betty just smiled. She admired the fact that despite how gloomy the beanie wearing boy appeared, he always tried his best to see the positivity in things. 

 

“I suppose Elizabeth really is your real name?” 

 

“You are correct.”

 

“Thank God.” 

 

The blonde beauty took out her house key and slowly clicked it into the keyhole, choosing to look at Jughead as she did so. 

 

Jughead grinned as he subtly tightened his grip on her soft hand. To be honest, he was pretty nervous about meeting Mrs. Cooper. And he had the right reason to be. 

 

As the white door swung open, Jughead caught sight of Mrs. Cooper. As soon as her eyes laid on him, she shrieked. “Not another Jones!” 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at Ionlyhave12bulletssoshare. I'd love to hear your feedback :) Also the prompt that inspired this story is now in the summary since the link I posted before no longer is available :/


End file.
